New to my blog? Welcome as I share updates about my book Weighed Down and write about my journey to keep working out and remain as Fit and Fab at 40 and Beyond as possible!
I am so excited to announce that very soon my book ‘Weighed Down – from fat to fab in your 40’s and beyond’ will be available on the market.
Right now the layout of the book is being developed. All the content has been finalised and this is the home run stretch to getting the book out to the world! I am so excited, but would be lying if I am not somewhat nervous. I am crossing many more of my boundaries of self doubt and confidence on a daily basis. Yet, I choose not to hold back.
I love to share with my readers. Why? So that we realise that we are not alone, we are a group of individuals who are successful in so many ways yet for some reason or another – something gets us ‘weighed down’. It may be related to physical weight or emotional stress or both! But – let’s not get deflated and give up – let’s share, love and embrace that change can happen – over time with a whole lot of love and support for one another.
So why start a blog? To keep everyone updated and to share what prompted me to start writing a book and share my experiences. Its been a wonderful journey – learning how to put together a manuscript of my thoughts and ideas and working in collaboration with many people from transcriptionists, illustrators, editors and publishers!
The journey I have been on has inspired me to connect with more people. The process of writing has given me time for self reflection, delve into some emotions and to learn more about what makes me happy – from the inside out.
My physical weight weighed me down
When I turned 40 years old I was in the worst shape ever. So what did I do? I took action – no more wishing that I would magically change my body shape, but I joined the gym and this time committed myself to put in the hard work to change.
So for those of you that have not seen my ‘before’ pictures – here are a couple. There a lots more that’s for sure. I realise that I am not alone, so many people I have met over the years have told me that they too were not happy with the way they look and feel. Sharing my before pictures makes it real. I was never one to enjoy being in front of the camera and my ‘fat’ photos were hidden away (I could not bear to look at them). Now, I embrace them as they show how much has changed.
Taking action is the first step, the next steps are not easy (believe me) but persistence and passion are key to progress.
I look at these photos and realise that at no point do I show that I am unhappy. It was a beautiful holiday with my family – a holiday that would be our last before we moved to live in Dubai in December 2011.
My journey is not just about my physical appearance. It is a marriage of my inner self and my willpower.
Sharing my book with the world is my message of hope for so many, to share how to overcome habit obstacles that are in the way. I struggled and got frustrated time and time again worrying about how to feel content and happier – but in the end I had to focus on one thing at a time, slowly and steadily (as my dad would say).
I had a frustrating relationship with food. Binge eating and a lot of secret eating – it made me feel better emotionally at the time. A realisation hit me when I look back of these photographs from Turkey. A defining moment of change. Yet – how could I change my body when I would turn 40 in March 2012?
“Weighed Down – from fat to fab in your 40’s and beyond’ – is my gift for everyone that reads it and a gift for my family to know that whilst it was never easy, I was able to change my body and condition my mind.
As a mum of two wonderful teenagers, I wanted to show them that if I could be resilient and learn to do better for myself, that in the long run, they would be able to do the same for themselves if need be in the future. Being a parent is the most rewarding role and showing our children that we all have failures and shortcomings is absolutely fine.
What’s Next?
Keeping you all up do date with the progress of the book and book launch. Continuing to share my journey and my life, write about how I keep motivated and inspired by others and what learning points have come along the way. I share with you snippets from my book from leaving a 16 year teaching career to be a stay-at-home mum, moving to a foreign land, overcoming doubts and committing to change. First job – is to lose a few extra kilo’s that I have put on after a busy summer holiday!
‘I can and I will’
